Participating

British Caribbean writer and educator, Stuart Hall, suggests that identity is not simply about ‘who we are’ or ‘where we come from’ but rather what we might 'become'.

Cultural identities came from somewhere, have histories. But like everything which is historical, they undergo constant transformation.

The challenge set by Hall to imagine what we might ‘become’ is particularly apt on the island of Ireland today and is increasingly manifested in debates about cultural identities across Europe, with diverse sets of policy agendas and outcomes often at odds with lived realities and sentiments on the ground. Learning Lab proposes to explore these ongoing challenges and tensions by constructively aligning debates about identities with questions of social justice.

Participation in Learning Lab will result in:

  • Exposure to the operational and critical thinking of lab leaders, who bring to Learning Lab first-hand experience of public projects and initiatives dedicated to furthering debates on identities and social justice in Australia, Canada, USA, and the UK;
  • A cross-sectoral forum where participants have the opportunity to explore – through collective, collaborative dialogue – debates, policies and questions related to identities and social justice;
  • A learning environment dedicated to building a transnational awareness of new conceptual perspectives and working methodologies;
  • Skills and knowledge transfer enabling participants to implement methods and ideas developed in the lab within their respective organisational and work environments.

Learning Lab runs for three continuous days, Tuesday through Thursday, from 9:30 am – 4:30 pm, during the following months:

13 - 15 April 2010 – Lab Leader: Andrea Durbach

25 - 27 May 2010 – Lab Leader: Handel Wright

21 - 23 September 2010 – Lab Leader: Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

Venue: Instituto Cervantes, Lincoln House, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2


Applications are no longer being accepted.  Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  for more information about the Learning Lab project.